Bubble forming device



Nov. 18,1947. R MER 2,430,999

BUBBLE FORMING DEVICE Filed Feb. 15, 1946 INVENTOR. Bi 5&6;- 51% 'r Patented Nov. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUBBLE FORMING DEVICE Riley S. Skinner, Sentinel, Okla. Application February 15, 1946, Serial No. emcee 7 Claims. (01. 4 cm This invention relates to bubble forming devices, and, more particularly, to devices of the amusement type for forming bubbles from a liquid containing soap,'glycerine, or similar film forming ingredients, one object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this nature for forming bubbles of varying size in a more rapid and convenient manner.

Another object is the provision of such a device having a deformable bubble producing nozzle adapted for forming bubbles in varying sizes and quantities. A further object is to provide a device of the above character combined with reservoir means for supplying the bubble forming liquid in a substantially continuous manner.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing a device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional elevation, partly broken away, substantially on the line 3a-3a in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View of the nozzle means substantially on the line fia-da in Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are end elevations of the nozzle showing the film forming orifice in closed and expanded conditions, respectively;

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view substantially on the line la-la in Fig. 6, showing the nozzle orifice expanded and holding a bubble forming film;

Fig. 8 is a similar view, but showing a bubble formed from the film, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 1 adjusted to position for closing the liquid passage.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, herein disclosed by way of illustration, preferably comprises a wide-mouthed container lb, of known type, for holding a suitable bubble forming liquid it). The mouth of the container is closed by a metallic screw cap 6?, which is cut away centrally to provide an opening [8 for connecting to the container the bubble forming means, which will now be described.

The bubble forming parts comprise a nipple 59 adapted to be inserted in the opening it of the container closure, with an open end Ell communicating through the opening with the interior of the container for supplying the liquid to the nipple. This end of the nipple is preferably formed with a laterally extending flange 2 E, preferably having substantially the same diameter as the mouth of the container, so as to be clamped 2 thereon by its screw cap, as shown, but the flange 2! may obviously be omitted and the nipple retained in the opening merely by a tight fit therewith. The opposite end of the nipple is closed as at 22 andits opposite side walls are formed with registering openings 23 and it, for receiving a tubular element, or blow pipe 25. Nipple 20 may be made of plastic, wood, rubber, metal, or other suitable materials, as may be found desirable.

The blow pipe 25 is preferably of the tubular shape shown and may be readily manufactured of glass, plastic, or other suitable materials. It is inserted through the openings 21% and of nipple 23, having an external diameter adapting for longitudinal sliding movement in the nipple openings, but with sufiicient frictional contact and resistance to normally retain the tube in adjusted position in the nipple. The tube is formed with a lateral port opening 2%, providing communication between the interior of the tube and the nipple and container, so that when the device is momentarily inverted, a limited quantity of the liquid in the container flows through the nipple and port 255 into the tube 25. This flow may be controlled, however, by sliding the tube longitudinally to a position in which port partially closed by a side wall of the nipple 2%], as indicated in Fig. 3, or-such flow may be entirely stopped by positioning the port 2%: outside the nipple, as shown in Fig. 9. construction thus provides in a simple con venient way for regulating the supply of fluid to the bubble forming nozzle. One end of blow pipe 25 is flanged inwardly, as at ii, to serve a mouthpiece, while its opposite end is formed with a short inwardly turned flange 23, for a purpose hereafter described.

The end of the blow pipe opposite the mouthpiece is equipped With a nozzle indicated generally at 29, made of flexible resilient material, such as rubber, and having one end 30 of tubular shape telesooped over the end of the blow pipe with sufiicient stretching to frictionaily retain it thereon. The nozzle is shaped in molding so that opposite side walls 3i converge toward and preferably into contact with each other to form a flattened, vertically extendin tip 32 having at itsend a slit 33 formed between the side walls 32. The length of the slit is preferably reduced somewhat by inwardly extending, short flanges 34, as shown, which serve to retain a small quantity of the bubble forming liquid in the bottom of the nozzle.

The bubble forming orifice is normally closed, as shown in Fig. 5, but by compressing the flattened tip 52 longitudinally of the slit 33, as by pressing the tip lightly at top and bottom between the thumb and finger, the orifice is spread or expanded laterally, more or less, and partially opened to bubble forming shape, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive.

In use, blow pipe is positioned as shown in Fig. 1 or 3, to regulate the transmission of liquid, as desired, and the device is momentarily inverted to allow a small quantity of the more or less viscous liquid to flow through the pipe into the bottom of nozzle 29. At such time the nozzle orifice is left closed, as shown in Fig. 5, to prevent any substantial leakage of the liquid from the nozzle and a small supply of the liquid is retained in the nozzle below the blow pipe flange 28, any excess of liquid flowing back into the nipple and container through the port 26, while the flange 21 protects the mouthpiece against escaping fluid. The liquid collects in the bottom of the nozzle tip 32, being retained by the orifice flange 34, and it has been found, due probably to surface tension, that the liquid tends to spread over the interior surfaces of the nozzle and between the side walls at the orifice 33 so that, when the orifice or slit is expanded as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, it tends to maintain a bubble forming film 35 over the orifice. This tendency may be accelerated by expanding and collapsing the orifice by repeated applications of pressure as described above, thus workingmore of the liquid up the side walls of the nozzle and slit to replenish the supply for the film.

By blowing through the mouthpiece, these films are blown into bubbles 36, as indicated in Fig. 8, and by varying the degree of opening of the orifice, and the amount of blowing pressure, the size of the bubbles and the rapidity of formation may be controlled to produce widely varying results. With a little practice, the user soon learns to manipulate the device so as to coordinate the supply of liquid with the rate at which the bubbles are blown and thus make an economical use of the liquid.

The invention provides a self-contained device having a reservoir of liquid in substantially continuous connection with the bubble forming nozzle, together with highly efficient bubble forming means adapted to be readily controlled and to produce varying and pleasing results.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it is contemplated that various modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in theart, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bubble forming device comprising a nozzle of flexible resilient material having therein a discharge slit which is normally substantially closed and adapted to be expanded laterally by compression of said nozzle longitudinally of said slit to produce a bubble forming film and a container having a connection with said nozzle for supplying bubble forming fluid thereto.

2. A bubble forming device comprising a conducting element provided with a mouthpiece and with a nozzle made of flexible resilient material having therein a discharge slit which is normally substantially closed and adapted to be expanded laterally by compression of said nozzle longitudinally of said slit and means communicating with said element between said mouthpiece and nozzle for supplying bubble forming fluid to said nozzle.

3. A bubble forming device comprising a conducting element provided with a mouthpiece and with a nozzle made of flexible resilient material having opposite side walls converging toward each other to form a tip of generally flat shape with a substantially closed discharge slit between said walls adapted to be laterally expanded by compression of said tip longitudinally of said slit to produce a bubble forming film, and means communicating with said element between said mouthpiece and nozzle for supplying bubble forming fluid to said nozzle.

4. A bubble forming device comprising a blow pipe provided with a mouthpiece, a nozzle on said blow pipe made of flexible resilient material having side walls converging into contact with each other to produce a flattened tip with a bubble forming slit between said side walls adapted to be opened by flexing said tip by inward pressure thereon longitudinally of said slit at the ends thereof, a container, and a conducting connection from said container to said blow pipe between said mouthpiece and nozzle thereof for supplying a bubble forming fluid thereto.

5. A bubble forming device comprising a blow pipe having a mouthpiece at one end thereof, a nozzle at the other end of said blow pipe having at one end a tubular shape fitted to said blow pipe and opposite side walls converging toward each other to form a tip of generally flat shape with a discharge slit between said walls normally substantially closed and adapted to be laterally expanded by compression of said tip longitudinally of said slit to produce a bubble forming film, a container, and a conducting connection from said container to said blow pipe intermediate said mouthpiece and nozzle for supplying bubble forming fluid thereto.

6. A bubble forming device comprising a tubular element having one end adapted for use as a mouthpiece, a transversely extending portion on said element communicating therewith and having an open end adapted to be inserted through an opening in a container for communication therewith, and a nozzle on the other end of said element made of flexible resilient material having therein a discharge slit which is normally closed and adapted to be expanded laterally by compression of said nozzle longitudinally of said slit, to produce a bubble forming film.

'7. A bubble forming device comprising a nipple having an open end adapted to be inserted through an opening in a container for communication therewith, said nipple being closed at its other end and provided with openings in opposite side walls, a tubular element mounted to slide longitudinally in said wall openings and provided with a port for communication with said nipple and container, said element being slidable to obstruct and close said port by one of said nipple walls, and a nozzle on one end of said element made of flexible resilient material having therein a discharge slit which is normally substantially closed and adapted to be expanded laterally by compression of said nozzle longitudinally of said slit, to produce a bubble forming film.

RILEY S. SKINNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS McNamara July 11, 1899 

